Longer Than Forever
by if i were infinity
Summary: America has won the Selection and is getting ready to marry Maxon when the rebels strike. And this time, they take America back with them. When America becomes a bargaining chip, will Maxon give up all the royal secrets to get her back, or find another way to save his one true love?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, so I am posting this in honor of my one year anniversary on Fanfiction. It is a little different from my other story and will be a little more intense. Make sure to review and all that! Enjoy chapter 1 of Longer Then Forever. **

**Xoxo,  
S. **

**AMERICA POV**

"Maxon," I whispered mockingly as I slipped by him at the Christmas Ball. I saw him turn around in confusion and I laughed.

"Playing dirty tricks are you, Lady America?" Nicoletta asked me; I was probably blushing red, causing her to burst into laughter.

"I…uh," I stumbled awkwardly

"Oh, honey, don't worry! It's actually quite enticing, I always knew you were a little _naughty_," Nicoletta whispered into my ear darkly. I gasped, thank Nicoletta for coming up with that conclusion. But two could play at that game,

"What else am I supposed to do around here, things get a little boring," I teased

"Should I tell him that?" she responded in a giggly manner and swayed off to find Maxon.

"Princess Nicoletta," I squealed as I followed her through the crowd. I grabbed her arm and spun her around. "I think that you have had a little to much to drink," I said.

"Whose around to stop me?" she said happily and then threw her glass against the ballroom wall. She shrieked with delight and then sauntered back into the crowd. I sighed and headed back to find the other Elite. Celeste stopped me though and jerked me backwards.

"What are you doing, talking to the _Princess _of Italy," she hissed, obviously jealous that I was making friends.

"Oh, you know, making friends?" I responded annoyingly

"You? Making friends? I didn't know _fives _had the manners to do that," Celeste responded snootily

"I have friends here, Celeste! And what about you? Where are your friends?" I asked snootily

"_I _have friends! Before I came here I had people lined up _just _to say hello to me," Celeste shot back.

"Yeah, and where are they tonight?" I snapped and then headed back into the crowd.

**MAXON POV**

"Maxon," I heard someone whisper behind me seductively but they were already gone when I turned around. I glanced at the people around me and saw a flash of brilliant red hair disappear into the crowd. She turned back around and saw that I was looking at her and laughed before she vanished for good.

"Son?" My father asked, snapping me back to reality.

"Yes, father?" I responded

"The King here just asked what your plans were for when you took the throne," my father told me. His voice was kind but his eyes said it all: screw this up and you'll be whipped for the second time this week.

"Well," I gulped, "my father has done such a great job with the country and it would be a shame to drop all his efforts. I plan to strengthen his work as well as develop the country a little more in my own way," I finished, praying that my answer was good enough to please the king of Ilea.

"Loosen up, Prince Maxon, it's a ball! We'll discuss politics later!" The King of Italy said slapping me on the back as he took a large gulp from his glass of red wine. My father gave a small laugh and then excused himself from the conversation.

"So, my boy, how is the Selection treating you?" the King asked me

"Very good, it's so crowded here all the time, I'm going to miss that when the Selection is over." I responded

"Very nice, and how are the girls?" he asked smiling.

"Stunning, each one is very special to me but I think I might narrow it down soon," I explained my mind straying to America.

"And what about Lady America, how is she doing?" the King asked as if he could read my mind. He seemed particularly interested in what I was going to say.

"She's spectacular, she has a temper, that's for sure! But she showed me a whole new perspective of the world. I think she is just what the country needs," I said blushing

"And what about you?" he asked again

"Great," I said happily. The King smiled at me and then headed off to find his wife. I took a sip from my glass of champagne and thought about how much I liked talking to the king of Italy. He wasn't always working or thinking about the future and he seemed like he genuinely cared about me. Oppose to some other king's I know.

I headed off towards Kriss when I stopped. Why had the King only asked me about America? Did she have to do with the Italians being here? Was she the string between the two countries and if she was, why didn't she tell me?

I decided to go visit her tonight after the ball and headed off to find Kriss.

**AMERICA POV**

I had just taken out the last bobby pin in my hair letting it tumble down my back when I heard a small knock on the door. I set down my brush and headed over to the door, smoothing out my dress as I went.

"Hello beautiful," Maxon said cockily, leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey," I said and smiled.

"I barely saw you at the ball tonight," he said stepping into my room.

"You seemed busy with the Italian King," I responded

"Well, I was busy until _someone _distracted me," he mocked leaning towards me. I blushed, suddenly remembering how I had slipped by Maxon, and looked at the ground causing Maxon to chuckle. He put his hands on my waist and pulled me towards him.

"America," he murmured his face in my hair.

"Maxon," I whispered

"Merry Christmas, my love," he said and brought his lips down onto mine.

I smiled to myself as I lay in bed the next morning, the details of last night replaying in my head. Maxon had told me in between kisses that he was going to propose at the New Years dinner. I was confident that I was going to become the princess of Ilea. I was confident that Maxon trusted me enough to let me be his wife.

Breakfast was quiet and short as most everyone was hung-over or exhausted from the night before. I knew I was, all I wanted to do was crawl back into bed and stay in there forever.

But we had work to do, with only three of us left in the competition these challenges were becoming more and more intense. We were in charge of planning the New Years dinner. The night of the proposal.

The news of Maxon proposing at the dinner apparently wasn't a surprise to the other girls, as they were all trying to subtly add their own flares to the décor and food at the dinner.

"We should put some yellow daisies in the vases at the table's" said Kriss all ready penciling them into the charts we had spread out across the table. She didn't add that the yellow daisy was her province's flower.

"Why don't we have some chocolate soufflé there," Celeste said pointedly. I remembered that Marlee had told me that that's what Celeste and Maxon had eaten on their first date.

I sighed and wrote down all their requests into the final draft of the party that we were supposed to hand into Sylvia at the end.

"America, you have barely said anything this whole time, you know you actually have to participate to win," Celeste said annoyingly.

"Yeah, I got it," I snapped

"There's that temper again," she tsked giving me a look. I rolled my eyes and got back to writing things down and watched as the event slowly started to take form in front of my eyes.

**CELESTE POV**

"Faster, I'm going to be late," I hissed at my maid as she scrambled to apply a final layer of lipstick onto my plump lips.

"Sorry, lady Celeste, I go as fast as I can," she said her hand starting to shake. I sighed and snatched the tube out of her hands, she jumped back in fright as I leaned towards the mirror and began to apply the red gloss onto my lips.

"When I become princess I am finding new maids, because all of you are worthless," I said and stood up. My dress flared out behind me exposing my long tan legs. It was a light pink that followed me like a tail. (**check out my Pinterest board if you want to see it, link is in my profile) **My heels clacked against the marble on my floor and I felt a tug from behind me as I exited the room. I turned back and saw that my maids were hastily holding on to the back of the dress to make sure I didn't trip on it.

"Hold it, don't rip it off," I ordered and then continued on my route to the grand hall. It was a smaller party this time, just the Italians, the royal family and the Elite would be present, but there would be cameras everywhere that would broadcast it to the entire nation. No doubt all of Ilea had delayed all their plans until after the end of the Report. No one wanted to miss this one; at the end of the show they would have a new princess.

And that princess was going to be me.

When we were about to round the corner to the grand room I shooed my maids away, they trembled as they curtsied and I sighed. None of these sixes had any manners at all. I decided firmly that when I was princess I was going to tell Maxon that if the maids couldn't even curtsy then they had better not be anywhere near me. I already heard laughter and chatter from inside the room and paused.

_This is your moment Celeste, you are the only girl in this room that could pull off being the princess _I told myself and then preceded to strut into the room, throwing my hands into the air and declaring my arrival.

**MAXON POV**

All eyes turned towards Celeste when she entered the room. Her long legs were exposed, as her dress stopped covering her at mid-thigh before it flounced out behind her. The Italian King and Queen seemed a little taken aback with Celeste's outfit choice as the rest of the girls in the room were dressed in floor-length gowns. America's dress was strapless at resembled a bunch of fragmented pieces of mirrors that fanned out to become a lovely silvery white. Kriss's dress was a deep navy with silver embroideries spaced out.

I walked over to her as was custom and kissed her hand and she blushed, but by this time, what with us spending time with each other for a couple of months, I could tell that the blush was rehearsed and fake. Just like her.

"My dear, you look lovely tonight, as always," I said taking her arm and leading her into the small crowd of people. I could almost feel the camera's on my back, recording every moment. Gavril was probably sitting in a room right now, doing a voice-over for the entire event and helping edit it so that it was shorter and showed the more exciting parts of the night.. The proposal was what everyone was waiting for. But we would have to wait until after the meal, which added the additional task of making sure the Italians didn't get drunk.

Dinner was delicious and I some of it reminded me of the girls. The chocolate soufflé we had for dessert was what I ate on my first date with Celeste. The flowers were from Kriss's province, the décor on the walls matched Celeste's dress somewhat and the lighting was perfect fit for Kriss's skin tone.

America was the only one that didn't add any details of her own into the dinner and I found myself surprised that I even considered her doing that. She was original and didn't want to be like Celeste and Kriss.

At the end of dinner I found that I was sweating and my palms were shaking. This was it, the end of the Selection. I always knew that I would have to do this one day, but it never really occurred to me that the whole world would be watching me. My mother, who could tell right away what I was feeling, glided over to me gracefully.

"Maxon?" she asked caringly

"Yes, mother?" I asked shakily

"I want you to know, that no matter who you choose and what direction you take, I will always support you," she said. I noticed that she omitted including my father and sighed, some things never change.

"Thank you mother," I said and she wrapped me in for a hug. I wanted to stay next to her all night, and judging at how hard she was trying not to cry, I think that she wanted me to, too. Like when I was little and we would have balls and I would be her shadow and follow her all night long.

But the camera's were waiting for their shot, and so were the people. It was time to end the Selection, because I was finally in love.

"Excuse me, may I have everyone's attention," I said tapping my glass. Everyone looked up from his or her conversations. It was finally time. I gulped and took in my last moment as a single man.

"Could I please ask the Elite to join me up front?" I asked politely. My voice sounded strangled and I prayed that no one would catch it.

They all came and joined my silently, no one wanted to mess this up. When they were all up on stage they shared one last glance before they turned towards the camera's.

I walked over to Celeste and took her hand. It was customary for me to say something about each of the girls. Thankfully the cameras wouldn't be sharing what I was saying to the girls or it would make the task ten times for awkward and invasive. It was between me and them and no one else. She smiled and posed for the camera's before she finally turned to look at me. America and Kriss looked heart-broken as they watched me and I gulped. Sylvia probably never told them that I had to speak first and they thought I was going to propose to Celeste. I almost laughed out loud, but instead started to talk trying to go quick because Kriss looked like she was about to cry.

"Celeste, you are stunning. Every time I see you, you take my breath away. You're passionate and confident about yourself and those qualities make you so lovely to be around. Dinner tonight reminded me of our first date, I remember every detail, you made me laugh and were very honest with me. I really appreciated it and I appreciate you being here. You are unique and someone that I could never, ever forget." I said and Celeste gave me a small seductive smile.

I kissed her hand and made my way over to Kriss. Trying hard to keep a straight face. Most of what I had said to Celeste had been an exaggeration, but I couldn't just bluntly tell her that I didn't like her. I had reached Kriss who looked more hopeful, her brown eyes wide and curious.

"Kriss, my dear. It truly has been a pleasure having you hear, you listen well and know exactly what to say and there is something special about you that makes everyone, including me, want to be around you. Your laugh is one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard in my life and I look forward to hearing it whenever I see you. You are kind and poised and exactly what royalty should be. There is no doubt in my mind that you would be a wonderful princess." I said and she blushed.

But the competition was really between Kriss and America. Kriss truly was everything that royalty had to be. She was poised and caring and would rule wonderfully along side of me, but there was no spark, no passion. It was a love with no depth. Finally I headed over to America.

"America," I breathed softly looking into her icy blue eyes that seemed to be swirling like the ocean. "You make me mad, and you have a temper and a mind of your own, you don't care what others think about you and do things in your own way. At the beginning of the Selection I was sure that those would be the things that I sent you home for. But now, those are the things I love most about you. You make me laugh and you are always there when I need you to be. America, when I am with you, I understand what people mean by love. And I've decided that….I want to spend the rest of my life with you." I whispered into her ear. When I pulled back she was blushing red, a small smile forming on her lips.

I turned towards the crowd and found my mother's approving eyes, and my father's appalled look. They knew what I was going to do, and my father didn't approve. But then I remembered the breathtakingly beautiful girl behind me who taught me that I was my own person. I was not going to be like my father and I was not going to let him decide everything for me. So, I got down on one knee. Kriss and Celeste gasped, and America smiled at me, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. "will you marry me?" I said quietly.  
"Nothing would make me happier," she said and then she kissed me and I knew, right there that I had made the right decision. Because I was truly, honestly in love with America Singer.

**A/N: So, what did y'all think? Review, follow and favorite. Seriously though! **

**Xoxo,  
S. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Okay, I'm really sorry that I haven't posted anything in a while. I have just been super busy, and I am totally incapable of writing this chapter. This is my 10****th**** draft. Seriously. **

**Thanks to my reviewers. Some people would be like 'Ew! Only 4 reviewers, that sucks!' but it really means a lot to me to know that at least 4 people actually found my story more than bearable! So thanks to you four! You rock.**

**Okay, I hope you enjoy chapter 2. This story is more intense then my other one so…tell me what you think! **

**Xoxo,  
S. **

**AMERICA POV**

"I do," I whispered tentatively looking up into Maxon's deep chocolate eyes.

"By the power vested in me and Ilea, I now pronounce you Prince and wife, you may now kiss the bride," the pope stated. Maxon smiled and leaned in towards me.

Everything seemed to vanish and it was just Maxon and I, Prince and Princess of Ilea. I smiled against his lips before Maxon pulled back.

I blushed and averted my eyes to my wedding dress. Full of lace and blindingly white, it was basically the most beautiful thing I had ever worn at the palace. My furious red hair tumbled around me in elegant waves.

"My darling…"Maxon said, his face open and relaxed.

I looked up at him and I swear, I have never loved someone as much as I loved Maxon at that exact moment.

Maxon never got a chance to finish though, because the priest began to speak again, his strong voice filling the spacious wedding venue.

"I present to you Prince Maxon and America Shreave of Ilea!" his fulfilled voice echoed through the stony pillars, which surrounded the altar. (**Check Pinterest to see all the wedding delights! The link is in my bio!) **

Maxon took my hand and we faced the crowd, mostly important people from foreign countries, but handfuls of warm faces and encouraging smiles. I smiled at the audience and made a mental note to myself to never forget this moment.

The theme of gold and white was elegant and regal as well as romantic. We had spent weeks planning it and honestly couldn't have been more pleased with the outcome.

"Congratulations Lady America," yet another faceless member of yet another insignificant royal family told me. They curtsied or bowed before disappearing into the crowd. Maxon didn't leave my side all night and we slowly made our way around the reception, pausing frequently to say hello. He looked at me often and his face would light up like he couldn't believe this was really happening.

Like he couldn't believe I was truly his.

When we were standing alone I turned to him and kissed him softly on the cheek,

"I just want to tell you that I have never been happier in my entire life," I smiled

"My America, I love you," he said and kissed me more passionately.

"Princessa!" I heard an Italian squeal from behind me. Maxon and I turned to see the most graceful, elegant, sexy, Italian drunk I had ever seen.

"Princess Nicoletta!" I said, trying for the same enthusiasm I heard in her voice. She shrieked with delight and stumbled towards me. Maxon seemed amused by the whole affair and didn't seem to mind when Nicoletta barely curtsied at all.

"Oh, look at the beautiful couple!" she said, her Italian accent accentuating on all of her words.

"Thank you Princess Nicoletta, it is such a pleasure to see you here tonight!" Maxon said confidently. Even though this was a wedding, we had to make an impression on the Italians, though I doubt Nicoletta would have anything to report back. She probably wouldn't even remember what happened at all tonight when she woke up tomorrow.

"Oh, it's lovely to be here! Next time I arrive I expect to see some _bambinos," _she said happily, and then preceded to down her glass of wine.

I blushed and I felt Maxon tense up a little bit. We knew that we had to have children in order to keep the bloodline alive, but we hadn't really talked about the _technicalities _of it.

"Well…" I started uncomfortably; she must have sensed the awkwardness because she let out a high-pitched giggle.

"You have _plenty _of time to do all that, but now we must celebrate!" she exclaimed. Kissed both of my cheeks and gave Maxon another sub-par curtsy before she swayed back into the crowd.

I refused to look Maxon in the eye as we greeted the rest of the guests at the party. I saw Celeste, Kriss and Marlee standing in the corner of the room and excused myself from the conversation with one of the conservative German ladies.

"America…or, oops, erm, Princess America," Kriss said happily curtsying.

"Oh Kriss, stand up," I said.

"I was just telling Marlee how gorgeous the bridesmaids dresses were, did you select them yourself?" Kriss asked, playing with the golden silky material of Marlee's dress.

It was gold, to match the hue of the wedding, strapless and hung to about her knees. **(Check Pinterest to see it!) **

"I wish, Queen Amberly did most of the wedding planning," I admitted, looking at Marlee's outfit. Her blonde hair seemed to melt right into the dress and she looked like a piece of gold.

"So, how are all of you?" I asked looking at Celeste.

"I started to teach, younger kids mostly and I've been on a couple dates, all the men are very handsome, of course you picked the best one" Kriss said, her eyes straying to Maxon while taking small sips from her champagne.

"Well, I am one of the most eligible bachelorettes in all of Ilea. Many of the men are almost rich enough to be One's." Celeste bragged, changing her pose in such a way that it made her dress seem even more revealing.

I gave Marlee a quick look before I thanked the girls for coming and headed back to find Maxon.

"You look stunning tonight," I heard a deep voice whisper into my ear. I smiled and looked up at Maxon. He looked sharp in his uniform, all the medals and buttons on his jacket were polished to perfection and I saw my hazy reflection in all of them.

"As do you," I murmured pulling him in tight. We swayed for a little bit to the soft music playing in the background when suddenly, an ear-piercing shriek filled the room.

"The alarm, it must be the Rebels," Maxon said urgently and immediately began to pull me towards the back of the chapel. The room was very large and it would take us a good minute to get all the way across at the pace we were going. I heard pounds of footsteps from outside the chapel doors and felt a rush of fear course through my veins.

I stumbled along with Maxon, my heels and the long dress made it hard for me to move very fast. The guards surrounding the walls of the chapel immediately pulled out their rifles and I heard the occasional ring of a bullet being fired out.

I refused to look back as we continued through the mass of people heading towards the open panel at the back of the hall. Already, masses of terrified people were flooding in but some weren't as unfortunate.

I heard screams from behind me and the loud thump of bodies hitting the ground. Glasses were shattering and plates were clattering. There were a few guards around Maxon and I, but as I surveyed the room, the number of guards had gone down and the number of rebels had gone up.

I had never seen so many rebels' before, it was like the whole lot of them had come to the crash the party. Maxon and I were about to enter the safe room when I saw man behind a golden topiary holding a gun and pointing it right at Maxon's head.

"Maxon!" I shrieked and shoved him into the room. He fell inside the safe room and I heard the bullet go whizzing by the entrance to the room. I was about to step into the safe room when I felt a sharp pang in my leg.

I fell to the ground and heard the rebel's approach.

"America!" I heard Maxon cry. I was starting to get dizzy as pain crept up my leg, but and my thoughts were starting to get blurred together. But when I heard Maxon call my name I suddenly remembered what was happening and how I couldn't let the Rebels' get to Maxon.

Using all the strength that I had inside of me, which had drained surprisingly fast, I dragged myself to the door of the safe room. I felt my dress start to get damp with my blood and cringed. If I closed the door, then they would need a key to get back in, which was something I didn't have. Only the few guards that did have keys were already in the safe room with the King and Queen. I looked up and saw Maxon looking for me in the darkness.

"I love you," I said, my words slurred together. I saw him look up in comprehension and his face broke as I groaned in pain as I slammed the door to the safe room shut.

"America!" I heard a heart-broken cry from inside the safe room as the door clanged shut.

And then the Rebel's got me.

A cocked rifle was immediately held at my forehead and my breath caught in my throat. Would I really die on my wedding day? I felt tears stinging my eyes and for once I didn't try to fight them back.

"Take the goddamn gun away from her!" I heard a strong voice command from behind me. I was in to much pain to afford to turn my head, so instead I lay helplessly on the floor as the gun slowly drew away from my head.

_It's help!_ I thought to myself. _Of course the palace would send extra support once they heard what happened_

"What should we do with her, boss?" I heard another voice asked.

It wasn't help. It was the Rebel boss! So they had really capture me, I saw a hazy outline of a man kneel down besides me.

"Let's take her back to the base, see what the Prince will do to get back his Princess," I heard a voice say before everything went black.

**A/N: Okay, so…what did you think? Dramatic? Romantic? I am so bad at writing, like, drama so my apologies! Do review though, I really love knowing what you guys think and I love hearing suggestions and stuff. So seriously, it takes like 30 seconds. **

**Xoxo,  
S. **


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